Tuesday March 5, 2013, 12:43 pm
The long-dreaded sequestration has arrived, bringing with it potentially catastrophic consequences for governmental programs designed to benefit those most in need. The NAACP estimates these across-the-board cuts will result in 100,000 fewer low-income children being prepared for school through Head Start, 17 million fewer “Meals-on-Wheels” delivered to seniors suffering from food insecurity, and 1.6 million fewer unemployed Americans served through job training, education, and employment services.

Yet, as thousands of “Israel-first” citizen lobbyists descend on Capitol Hill tomorrow as part of the annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) — the largest and most influential of the many groups comprising the “Israel lobby” — concern for these millions of Americans will not be on its legislative agenda. Instead, AIPAC will be lobbying to avert the impact of sequestration on record-breaking levels of U.S. military aid to Israel. It will also be pushing for legislation to boost the U.S.-Israel “strategic alliance” and green light an Israeli attack on Iran, measures which will both inevitably entail demands for additional U.S. taxpayer-funded weapons to Israel.

Israel stands to lose approximately $250 million of its $3.1 billion military aid package from the United States under the terms of the sequestration. The Jewish Week calls AIPAC’s gambit to exempt these cuts a “very risky strategy at a time when millions of Americans will be feeling the bite of the sequestration debacle,” which “could easily backfire and damage Israel far more than any cuts in its very generous grant aid program.”

Indeed, why should AIPAC seek to “single out Israel” and “hold it to a different standard” — unfounded charges, ironically enough, leveled by the “Israel lobby” at those who seek to hold Israel accountable to universal standards of human rights and international law — by lobbying for greater levels of U.S. taxpayer aid for Israel at this time?

After all, Israel is a wealthy country. According to the International Monetary Fund, Israel ranked 27th in per capita gross domestic product in 2011, with its residents enjoying a higher average income than people in Spain, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia. It could certainly afford to pay for those U.S. weapons it wanted without relying on the largesse of the American taxpayer.

But instead, AIPAC demands that the United States underwrite approximately 20 percent of the Israeli military budget. Beyond the fiscal absurdity of this policy, what makes it even more galling is that U.S. taxpayers are thereby made complicit in Israel’s systematic violation of Palestinian human rights, its military occupation and illegal colonization of Palestinian land, and its apartheid policies toward Palestinians which deny them freedom and self-determination. This military aid continues to flow despite the fact that U.S. laws such as the Arms Export Control Act and Foreign Assistance Act are designed to prevent foreign countries from misusing U.S. aid to commit human rights abuses.

This tangible support for Israel’s oppression of the Palestinians guts the credibility of U.S. claims to promote human rights and makes it exponentially more difficult for the United States to gain the trust of people around the world whose support is needed to confront the scourge of terrorism.

Even Israeli military officials admit that U.S. military aid to Israel undermines broader U.S. interests. In a revealing cable from the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv, made public by WikiLeaks, Amos Gilad, head of the Political-Military Bureau of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, “acknowledged the sometimes difficult position the U.S. finds itself in given its global interests, and conceded that Israel's security focus is so narrow that its QME [Qualitative Military Edge, a provision written into U.S. law mandating weapons deliveries to Israel to maintain its dominance over any combination of potential enemies] concerns often clash with broader American security interests in the region.”

However, this type of frank talk of diverging interests between the United States and Israel will not be among the talking points of the AIPAC “Israel-first” lobbyists on Tuesday, March 5. Rather, they will continue to foster the fraudulent notion that the United States will benefit strategically from American taxpayers arming Israel with ever-increasing amounts of weapons to maintain its brutal policies toward Palestinians.

More than ever, as the impact of sequestration further devastates the already frayed social safety net in this country, this is an argument that should be rejected on both moral and economic grounds.

JVP or Jewish Voice for Peace just sent out a petition for people to sign to remind Congress that AIPAC does not speak for everyone. They sure as hell do not speak for me. If we have such catastrophic financial problems that we must deal with this Sequester than I think Israel too must tighten their belt as we have no more money for THEIR GUNS.

Tuesday March 5, 2013, 1:29 pm
I added the links to these new two petitions on my other post with the AIPAC petition, links are in comments!
Thx Kit, this was ALWAYS true and could not be any more true at this time!
You've noticed the Israeli PM has once again pulled out the red line rhetoric..and Congress has given an extra big $ pack to the Pentagon to soften the sequester cuts-we know what that might mean..

Tuesday March 5, 2013, 1:48 pm
Few weeks ago I had a chance to read a very interesting article about the aid given by USA to Israel. I think it might be a good idea to share it with you here. Just few lines that show how much is Israel getting under the pressure of Zionist Israeli lobbies. The link to the complete article is also here for those who would like to read more.
Wednesday, 13 February 2013 19:09
True Lies About U.S. Aid to Israel
Written by Richard H. Curtiss
font size decrease font size decrease font size increase font size increase font size Print Email

Washington Report - For many years the American media said that "Israel receives $1.8 billion in military aid" or that "Israel receives $1.2 billion in economic aid." Both statements were true, but since they were never combined to give us the complete total of annual U.S. aid to Israel, they also were lies—true lies.

Recently Americans have begun to read and hear that "Israel receives $3 billion in annual U.S. foreign aid." That's true. But it's still a lie. The problem is that in fiscal 1997 alone, Israel received from a variety of other U.S. federal budgets at least $525.8 million above and beyond its $3 billion from the foreign aid budget, and yet another $2 billion in federal loan guarantees. So the complete total of U.S. grants and loan guarantees to Israel for fiscal 1997 was $5,525,800,000.

Tuesday March 5, 2013, 2:30 pm
And for FY 2013 you can ADD some more to that! Remember Obama's promise to Bibi for his agreement to the Egypt sponsored truce after Pillar of Defense! What do they need more Iron Domes for?? Not to mention these other "secret military facilities" under construction. PEACE is the solution, NOT (more) WAR !!

Tuesday March 5, 2013, 6:28 pm
I think that one of the Ad Campaigns sums it all up.

Invest in Our Future...Not Israel's Occupation.

and

40,000+ Affordable homes needed for working families around DC....25,000+ Palestinian homes demolished from 1967 to 2012.

I think that is what has to be stressed. The schmaltzy campaigns and conversation doesn't seem to work. Pro Israel rhetoric always drowns out the horror of the occupation. Perhaps pragmatic discussions may have people re-think their commitment. Those who are extremely pro-Israel seem to be very much about us v. them ideology. When they are the "us" and "Israel" is the them in relation to our economic woes, perhaps they won't be so financially supportive of killing people (let's face it, it isn't about defense anymore).

Tuesday March 5, 2013, 6:45 pm
I agree Free! That has the strongest message and most appealing now to Americans.
the need for defense has little to no validity, true. But of course if the warmonger/s keep provocating they can maintain that claim.

Tuesday March 5, 2013, 6:52 pm
Where are all the hate preachers accusing me once again of anti -semitism , posting propaganda and spewing insults upon me? I wonder if they would call TheHill another"hatesite".

Tuesday March 5, 2013, 7:17 pm
Angelika - It is ignorance that breeds intolerance, hatred, racism, etc. If you look at the people who defend Israel to the death, virtually all of them are completely void of fact, the historical record and rely on the romantic image of Israel as the empty land for the people without a land (the Exodus version).

I was guilty of this absolutist, defend Israel at all cost ideology. I believe that for most part, Jews who defend Israel to the end of times is based on blind faith, the Israeli "From Time Immemorial" hasbara.

If or when they finally decide to research the historical record, the narrative, the claims of ethnic cleansing, etc. (usually to prove others wrong or want to quiet the doubts they begin to have, there is no turning back. It is like crossing the Rubicon and once that point is crossed, all bets are off. Once the truth is uncovered, they will fight tooth and nail for the Palestinian cause, to right a wrong. What is so disturbing though is that much of the staunch defenders of Israel; the ones that will only go as far to admit "Israel is not perfect" in the same tone a parent would say "kids will be kids", while 1,400 Gazans are being killed like flies killed under a microscope; come from the extreme religious right whose whole purpose it to convert them accept Jesus Christ as their personal saviour before Armageddon or the Jewish converts (who became Jewish in the religious sense because they thing it is in vogue.

Wednesday March 6, 2013, 6:19 am
You know if you disagree then many call you an anti-semite. They might know you have volunteered at JUF and planted trees in Israel. For some reason if you don't stant 100% with Israel they think they know everything about you. They are very touchy and judgemental.

Wednesday March 6, 2013, 8:34 am
Indeed, Gloria, thanks. The problem is they cannot or will not accept and understand that one can stand for both, Israel AND Palestine, but yet object the POLICY of the Netanyahu leadership!

Wednesday March 6, 2013, 10:27 am
Every lobby is trying to avert the cuts' effects on its interests. I was at a talk a week ago by a guy from the American Physical Society a week ago: He said that he and his colleagues are trying to maintain research-funding, but he doesn't think it will work because total research-funding tends to remain a constant fraction of discretionary spending.

More directly related, however, if AIPAC really believes that support for Israel is a highly cost-effective investment in American security, then it is right to seek to maintain funding. AIPAC's belief is that Israel draws the attention of anti-Western forces that would otherwise strike at the U.S., and that paying American companies to supply arms to Israel so that it can fight enemies which would otherwise target the U.S. and its other interests, is a highly cost-effective means of maintaining security. Everybody complains about how stupidly the cuts are set up, reducing funding without reallocating funds from programs that cannot work with the reductions to save others, and without maintaining funds for cost-effective programs. What is wrong with lobbies trying to get the government to run the cuts more intelligently?

Wednesday March 6, 2013, 3:08 pm
AIPAC should be put on the terrorist list!
Here's a better alternative to the sequester, please sign;
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/economic-and-national-security/xM2Xr5w1
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/257/834/410/economic-security/

Wednesday March 6, 2013, 9:06 pm
What the heck are they smoking on the hill? Are they off their rockers??? Here we have all of our own country financial problems and we are going to send off to help other countries. I've never heard of such crap. The US is responsible for taking care of their own people first and then when we are doing well here, then you help other countries. I don't see any rich foreign country offering to help us. Our government needs to get guided to get back on the right tracks and what needs to be conquered first. I signed the petitions.
Thanks Angelika

Thursday March 7, 2013, 12:49 am
There's a very simple solution to this problem.
America should halt all aid to Egypt and Pakistan, two countries that detest everything America stands for, and give it as additional aid to Israel, one of America's few true allies.
That wasn't that difficult was it?

Thursday March 7, 2013, 3:21 am
I have read some interesting comments here. The last reasonable comment so far was posted here on Wednesday March 6,2013 at 10:00 pm. After that and until my post I read two trash-like and silly comments.

Thursday March 7, 2013, 4:56 am
New legislation is in the works that would make Israel a “major strategic ally,” a privileged relationship that no other nation enjoys. The bill, H.R. 938 United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013, was introduced in the House by Ileana, a Republican and Ted Deutch, a Democrat, both from Florida. It would also protect aid to Israel from any future across-the-board budget cuts.

The legislation will make permanent a number of Washington-Tel Aviv interactions including annual defense assistance, military technology, energy research, and cyber security. It also calls for Israel to join the program that waives pre-arranged visas for select nationals entering the United States. Israel’s espionage activities are well-documented: lowering of visa standards can only lead to more infiltration. This bill creates a relationship that even Canada and Great Britain, who fought alongside American soldiers in WWII, do not enjoy.

Please tell your Representative that Americans want a fair foreign policy that encourages peace and justice in the Middle East. The history of our Israel first policies has crippled US strategic, economic, diplomatic, and humanitarian activities in that vital region of the world.

Finally, there is the continuing threat of war with Iran. It has now gone one step beyond saber rattling. A new bill, HR 850, introduced by the influential House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce, R-CA and supported by ranking Democrat Eliot L. Engel of New York would extend existing sanctions targeting Iran’s energy and financial transactions to include an even broader range of its commerce with the rest of the world. Several senators are working on a measure that is expected to be even more expansive. Dare we push Iran to the brink—is it wise to gamble on US military intervention in a deadly Israel-Iran war?

Please tell your Representative to take a step back, to put some space between a stable, sane foreign policy and the path to an all-out war. And make no mistake about it: if it comes to military action, Iran will not be fought in a series of skirmishes.

Thursday March 7, 2013, 5:03 am
Abdessalam Diab (145)
Thursday March 7, 2013, 4:56 am
New legislation is in the works that would make Israel a “major strategic ally,” a privileged relationship that no other nation enjoys.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Abdessalam, please explain to be why would Egypt whine when you've received?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The U.S. government ordered the planes for Egypt from Lockheed Martin in 2010, as part of an annual aid package that regularly topped $1 billion. But the very next year, a popular revolution began which ultimately resulted in Mubarak's ouster and imprisonment, and the election of Morsi, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood. In November, Morsi tried to claim dictatorial powers, but was forced to back down from his claim after massive protests against the move.

Many worry that arming such a volatile Egypt will endanger Israel.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is how the US budget cuts affects Israel:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Report: US to Cut Aid to Israel by $150M
An unconfirmed report says American foreign aid to Israel is going to be cut by $150 million. The figure is lower than what was expected.

By Chana Ya'ar
First Publish: 3/7/2013, 2:24 PM

US Secy of Defense Chuck Hagel

Although the cuts will be lower than expected, Israel will nevertheless feel the sting of the axe as America slashes its budget for fiscal 2013, sources said Thursday in an as-yet unconfirmed report.

The sources said the cut was unavoidable, given the across-the-board slash, down from eight percent to five percent, in the nation’s budget.

Numerous Israeli firms that provide products and services to the U.S. government, including those in the military industries, are expected to be affected by the reduction.

However, newly-confirmed Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said Tuesday that any cuts would not affect U.S. funding for Israel’s rocket and missile defense programs.

“Secretary Hagel expressed his strong commitment to Israel’s security, including maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge and continued U.S. support for missile and rocket defense systems, in spite of fiscal constraints,” Pentagon spokesman George Little said in a statement.

A separate defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Hagel “is committed to working with members of Congress to ensure that there is no interruption of funding for Iron Dome, Arrow, and David’s Sling rocket and missile defense systems, despite the fiscal uncertainly due to Congressional inaction.”

Thursday March 7, 2013, 5:33 am
Alex, Abdesalam always whines about Israel. He, no doubt, supports the Muslim Brotherhood what is allowing paedophilia, human rights abuses, pays people to rape women who want to speak out for themselves, slavery, kills and tortures Christians, allows Christian girls to be raped, removed basic human rights for Christians and then complains when a democratic country needs to defend itself.

People, like Angelika, are extremely anti-Semitic and then accuse people of being rude. When offered the truth she refuses to read or even acknowledge it claiming that a discussion will turn it into a chat room. Since when is talking about the reality a chat room? In fact, Angelika denied knowledge of the ongoing rocket attacks in Israel. Only someone who wants to ignore what terrible abuses that Israel suffers could claim this. So, if America wants to help Israel stop rockets coming and killing their citizens then it is a terrible thing. If anyone of them is prepared to accept that for themselves, let them speak now.

I also note that no-one praised Israel for being the ONLY country to respond to New York's disasters with Sandy. No-one else gave a damn including the caliph in charge who thought that the people in New York did not deserve his attention.

As for not supplying weapons, why is America giving the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt weapons to attack Israel with? More weapons to abuse their own people with. Good one.

Thursday March 7, 2013, 8:24 am
quote...New legislation is in the works that would make Israel a “major strategic ally,” a privileged relationship that no other nation enjoys...unquote

Thank goodness for that-- it shows sanity may yet prevail and the benefits to the US will be enormous in sharing in Israels accomplishments
Can you imagine allying with an islamic state where the only export would be murder and treachery although this of course this would be applauded by the delusionists who share the same aims as the barbaric retards that surround Israel.
Interesting how barbarism and delusion run hand in hand

Thursday March 7, 2013, 10:46 am
go ahead and cut funding to israel, but then we need a refund from the "no strings attached" 1.4 BILLION egypt got, the 200 abrams tanks, and yes, all those f-16s as well. and pakistan can just give us a refund, too. and we don't need to be spending billions in afghanistan either.

and i didn't realize while this administration sat on their hands it was israel alone who helped us from sandy. my heartfelt thanks. but how pathetic when your own country can't be troubled and foreign aid is needed.

Thursday March 7, 2013, 5:26 pm
"An unconfirmed report says American foreign aid to Israel is going to be cut by $150 million. The figure is lower than what was expected. "

The key word is "unconfirmed". Why would someone post from an article that is "unconfirmed"? This article also insinuates that Israel only receives $250 million as it conveniently fails to mention the military aid which totals in excess of $3.0 billion per annum.

Friday March 8, 2013, 7:56 am
Well, where is the outrage over the $250Million the Obama admin. is giving to the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist, tyrannical, brutal regime in Egypt, all paid for by the US taxpayers while their services are being gutted, such as they are, and they are cutting the funding for the Victims of 911 while funding the very people who back things like that.

Of course all you Jew-hating bigots here will applaud this, won't you?

Come on Abdesalem, tell them all what you really think of Jews. You and your demented 'prophet':

Bukhari:V4B52N177 "Allah's Apostle said, 'The Hour will not be established until you fight
with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say.
"O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him."'"
(A poll sponsored by the Israel Project found that 73 percent of Palestinian Arabs “believe” this Hadith, according to the findings of a July 2011 study by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner)

Angelika must be positively orgasmic over Islam's hatred of Jews (and just about everyone else, including her, as a woman). The Islamic trilogy of sacred texts have more Jew hatred than Hitler's "Mein Kampf". But you'll catch up. Keep spouting your Jew-hating speech, while you all ignore the most brutal, hateful, bigoted bunch of all - the Palestinian dictatorship that has sat on their lazy butts and raked in billions in charity and produced nothing but suicide bombers and hate.

You people are disgusting. You are certainly not the 'progressives' you pretend to be. What a bunch of hateful bigots.

Friday March 8, 2013, 6:59 pm
Gillian Miller (210)
Thursday March 7, 2013, 5:33 am
< "People, like Angelika, are extremely anti-Semitic and then accuse people of being rude."
Gillian, you know well that I was refering to all others who got nasty with me. On that particular thread YOU were NOT RUDE and I acknowledged that as well. Unfortunately it is no longer the case with your above statement.

I said that I was NOT AWARE of any after the truce in Nov. That is NOT "denying" !
And now I admit that in fact I have missed this incident here, I am sorry that I didn't know about it.
(http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/27/world/middleeast/rocket-from-gaza-hits-israel-breaking-cease-fire.html?ref=gazastrip&_r=0%22%3EIsrael%20Struck%20by%20Rocket%20From%20Gaza%20After%20a%20Death&_r=0)

The rocket, which came down on a road outside the city of Ashkelon and caused no injuries, was the first from Gaza to hit Israel in the three months since a cease-fire agreement ended eight days of cross-border violence. Israel has violated the cease-fire several times by firing on fishermen and farmers approaching newly relaxed security perimeters, but the agreement has otherwise held.

This item is supported by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Israeli Intelligence & Heritage Commemoration Center. Their data shows no rocket fire in December, none in January and as described above in February. The February 26th attack was by Ak Aksa Martyrs Brigade not Hamas.

So much forf "ongoing rocket attacks on a daily basis" (quote Gillian) !!

There were claims of at least 12 rockets fired later on in the day of the ceasefire. As demonstrated above, this (Feb 26) is the first time since Operation Pillar of Defence.

Record on the opposite side:

Israel has continually breached the ceasefire . As of today, March 8, 2013, Israel has violated the ceasefire for 111 times.

1. Nationhood and Jerusalem : Israel became a nation in 1312 BC, two thousand (2000) years before the rise of Islam.

2... Arab refugees in Israel began identifying themselves as part of a Palestinian people in 1967, two decades after the establishment of the modern State of Israel.

3. Since the Jewish conquest in 1272 BC, the Jews have had dominion over the land for one thousand (1000) years with a continuous presence in the land for the past 3,300 years.

4. The only Arab dominion since the conquest in 635 lasted no more than 22 years.

5. For over 3,300 years, Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital. Jerusalem has never been the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity. Even when the Jordanians occupied Jerusalem , they never sought to make it their capital, and Arab leaders did not come to visit.

6. Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in Tanach, the Jewish Holy scriptures. Jerusalem is not mentioned even once in the Koran.

7. King David founded the city of Jerusalem . Mohammed never came to Jerusalem .

9. Arab and Jewish Refugees: in 1948 the Arab refugees were encouraged to leave Israel by Arab leaders promising to purge theland of Jews. Sixty-eight percent left (many in fear of retaliation by their own brethren, the Arabs), without ever seeing an Israeli soldier. The ones who stayed were afforded the same peace, civility, and citizenship rights as everyone else.

10. The Jewish refugees were forced to flee from Arab lands due to Arab brutality, persecution and pogroms.

11. The number of Arab refugees who left Israel in 1948 is estimated to be around 630,000. The number of Jewish refugees from Arab lands is estimated to be the same.

12. Arab refugees were INTENTIONALLY not absorbed or integrated into the Arab lands to which they fled, despite the vast Arab territory. Out of the 100,000,000 refugees since World War II, theirs is the only refugee group in the world that has never been absorbed or integrated into their own people's lands. Jewish refugees were completely absorbed into Israel , a country no larger than the state of New Jersey ....

13. The Arab-Israeli Conflict: the Arabs are represented by eight separate nations, not including the Palestinians. There is only one Jewish nation. The Arab nations initiated all five wars and lost. Israel defended itself each time and won.

14. The PLO's Charter still calls for the destruction of the State ofIsrael. Israel has given the Palestinians most of the West Bank land, autonomy under the Palestinian Authority, and has supplied themwith most of their needs.

15. Under Jordanian rule, Jewish holy sites were desecrated and the Jews were denied access to places of worship. Under Israeli rule, all Muslim and Christian sites have been preserved and made accessible to people of all faiths.

16. The UN Record on Israel and the Arabs: of the 175 Security Council resolutions passed before 1990, 97 were directed againstIsrael.

17. Of the 690 General Assembly resolutions voted on before 1990, 429 were directed against Israel .

18. The UN was silent while 58 Jerusalem synagogues were destroyed by the Jordanians.

19. The UN was silent while the Jordanians systematically desecrated the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives .[They used tombstones to paveroads].

20. The UN was silent while the Jordanians enforced an apartheid-like a policy of preventing Jews from visiting the Temple Mountand the Western Wall.

Saturday March 9, 2013, 9:29 am
Perhaps a reminder here to all to please stay on topic. This post was basically about MONEY and more money AIPAC and the rest of the Israel lobby thinks the US should give to Israel, when in fact it is needed at home for Americans.

As for the posts above, an interesting question No 21. would perhaps be, why is it that Israel could manage to practically disregard all of the hundreds of UN resolutions todate? And how could this be changed !?